Altaïr had guessed that Isis's parents were strong Hunters, but he never expected them to be "that" strong.
He could even immediately recall her father's name, after all, there were only two active 9★ Hunters, one of whom was female.
Come to think of it, those two 9★ Hunters seemed to have a master-disciple relationship. Following that line of thought, one could roughly imagine the kind of people Isis had been exposed to in her upbringing.
For ordinary people, only a small portion with suitable physiques could enter the Hunter Training Camp to receive training.
At least half of them would be eliminated along the way. Becoming an official Hunter by passing the assessment was a matter of pride for anyone.
But not for Isis. For her, this was just part of the basics.
The so-called 3★ was a hurdle. Ambitious Hunters, as long as they didn't meet an untimely end, could mostly advance to 3★ in their prime.
However, the criteria of being "ambitious" and "not meeting an untimely end" were enough to filter out the majority. Thus, Hunters who reached this level were qualified to be called veterans and could teach apprentices or serve as instructors.
For Isis, this was also part of the basics.
Beyond 3★, Hunters at the 4★ and 5★ levels were already capable of hunting powerful Flying Wyverns. These individuals were the true elites, making up less than one-fifth of all Hunters.
For Isis, this still fell under the basics.
Moving further up, starting from 6★, these were the so-called high-rank Hunters.
Hunters at this level were shrouded in mystery. They were qualified to access classified confidential information and, under the guild's assignments, traveled everywhere to resolve tricky events.
For Isis, this was finally no longer part of the so-called "basics" but rather "the first step that should be taken as early as possible."
The joy, pride, and sense of accomplishment that came with having the talent to become a Hunter, becoming an official Hunter, becoming a skilled veteran, and becoming an elite in everyone's eyes, she couldn't experience any of it.
Because she was the descendant of that legendary Hunter Master, all of this was taken for granted.
No one would praise her for these achievements, or even if her parents and family did, it would feel somewhat like teasing a child.
Imagine her father, a 9★ Hunter, patting her head and saying, "Isis is so amazing, she's already 2★!"
While her mother, an 8★ Hunter, scolds him with a laugh, "You careless man, she reached 3★ a while ago."
Isis probably found it hard to genuinely smile at such moments.
Altaïr rubbed his face.
A few minutes ago, he was still shocked by her family background, but now he almost felt sorry for her.
The shadows cast by her parents were too vast, looming over her with no end in sight.
"Alright, let me share my thoughts from an outsider's perspective, and as a friend." Seeing Isis hugging her knees in silence, looking pitiful, Altaïr suddenly reached out and patted her arm.
"Do you think you could ever surpass your parents with the Great Sword or Long Sword in your lifetime?" Before even asking the question, Altaïr had already guessed Isis's response.
Sure enough, Isis shook her head rapidly. "No, impossible."
"Then let me put it another way, are you better with the Great Sword than your mother? Are you more skilled with the Long Sword than your father?"
"?" Isis looked at him in confusion.
What kind of comparison was this?
"I'm just using this as an example," Altaïr said with a laugh. "Surpassing others, proving something... these things have no real meaning."
"You don't need to limit your focus to just the Long Sword and Great Sword. Why not try to find what truly suits you and walk your own unique path?"
"What... suits me?" Isis's face was filled with bewilderment. "Every weapon suits me. I can't choose, that's why I've been practicing my parents' weapons."
Altaïr: "..."
"Alright, let me ask differently." Altaïr took out his personal notebook and listed all fourteen hunter weapons.
"Setting aside the Great Sword and Long Sword for now, which do you prefer, close-range or long-range combat?"
"Close-range, I think. A very skilled Gunner once told me that while I have good dynamic vision, my eyes aren't sharp enough to become a top-tier Gunner."
"Good, that eliminates the Heavy Bowgun, Light Bowgun, and Bow." Altaïr swiftly crossed out three lines with his charcoal pencil.
"Between light, agile weapons and heavy, powerful weapons, which do you prefer?"
"Heavy weapons. Light weapons feel too floaty for me, I'm not used to them. And I don't really feel like any heavy weapons are particularly heavy anyway."
Altaïr: "..."
Why did this girl have to be so cheeky sometimes?
"Then we can eliminate the Dual Blades. What about Sword and Shield? I saw how much you enjoyed bashing with the shield before, it was the first time I saw you laugh like that, roaring with laughter while smashing the Barroth's head bloody. It was kind of terrifying."
"Was... was it really that exaggerated?" Isis looked somewhat embarrassed. "But I did really enjoy the feeling of those Shield Bashes."
"That narrows things down considerably then, Hammer, or any shield-bearing weapons. Speaking of which, have you considered becoming a Tank?"
"You seem to enjoy counter-attacking tactics quite a bit... even with the Long Sword, you prefer playing reactively."
"Tank?" Isis repeated the term. "I... don't know. Among the elders I'm familiar with, there aren't many Tanks, and I haven't had much exposure to related weapons."
"Then go try them at the weapon shop. We're still young, we should be brave about trying new things." Altaïr encouraged her: "Come to think of it, I've never tried shield weapons other than Sword and Shield either."
"Including my teacher, several seniors have criticized me for focusing too much on offense while neglecting defense and self-protection."
"Maybe I should try those large-shield weapons too? They might unexpectedly suit me, and could help cover my weaknesses."
Encouraged by Altaïr's words, Isis nodded somewhat uncertainly.
"Then... shall we go try them when we return?"
—--
The return journey was uneventful. Several days later, they successfully returned to Val Habar.
Their first order of business upon returning to the city was naturally to report to the Guild Hall. When Guildmarm Sophia learned they had successfully hunted the Barroth without sustaining any serious injuries, she appeared quite pleased.
Isis was immensely relieved that she had mostly healed the injury on her right arm, caused by bashing her shield, during the return journey. If Ms. Sophia found out, she would undoubtedly face another scolding.
The two of them fetched Sajji from Naziya's place and headed to Chef Meow's shop for a hearty meal to celebrate and soothe their stomachs, which had been traumatized by honey-fried cabbage and rations.
After eating their fill, Sajji announced he wanted to return to finish assembling the half-built machine, but Altaïr grabbed his tail.
"No rush. If you don't get some sun soon, you'll grow moldy."
"Moldy my tail! Let me go back, meow! Meow...!"
Ignoring his struggles, Altaïr picked up his hunting partner, who was hopelessly absorbed in mechanical studies, and asked Isis, "Didn't you mention before that you know a skilled artisan in Val Habar? How about we visit him?"
"Sure!"
Isis agreed readily and led Altaïr and Sajji through Val Habar's maze-like alleys until they arrived at an unremarkable blacksmith's shop.
The shop had no assistants or helpers, only the proprietor himself, sitting alone by a blazing furnace, hammering away at something.
The man had dark brown skin, a prominent nose, and a physique rivaling that of a heavy weapon Hunter. His pointed ears marked him as no ordinary human but a Wyverian.
While Altaïr observed his appearance, Sajji's gaze fell on the item the artisan was forging.
Judging by its shape, it seemed to be a component of an Aptonoth harness... was it called a bit or something, meow?
"Uncle Smithy!" Isis greeted him cheerfully.
The artisan ignored her and continued his work. Only after completing the component, gripping it with tongs, and quenching it in a cooling fluid did he look up and give Isis a slight nod in acknowledgment.
Familiar with the artisan's reticent nature, Isis took the initiative to introduce both sides. "These are my friends, Altaïr and his hunting partner, Sajji."
"I'm Altaïr, from Loc Lac."
"Hello, meow!"
"Hmm."
"This is Smithy, a companion from my mother's travels back in the day. Don't be fooled by him making small items now, his skills are among the finest in all of Val Habar!"
Altaïr and Sajji exchanged glances.
They certainly trusted Isis's judgment of the artisan's craftsmanship, but at the moment, they were more preoccupied with how many companions her mother had during her travels.
Why did they seem to be everywhere in Val Habar?